Sharks Move to 3-2 in Conference Play
Miami Dade College put on a four-quarter clinic Monday, pulling away early and never looking back in a 103-64 win over Hillsborough Community College. After a steady opening frame, the Sharks detonated in the second quarter and turned the game into a track meet, outscoring the Hawks 31-11 in the period and carrying a commanding 50-27 lead into halftime.
The tone was set immediately. Jazmyne Bynum buried a three just seven seconds into the game off a Cheyenne Preston assist, and while Hillsborough briefly nudged ahead, MDC's defense and rebounding started to stack possessions. Azjannie Culberth capped the first quarter with a momentum-stealing triple in the final half-minute (0:21, 1st) to send the Sharks to the break up 19-16.
From there, it snowballed.
Miami Dade's second quarter was ruthless. Saige McCloud opened the period at the line, then finished her own work moments later with a tip-in with 8:52 left in the half. Bynum sparked the burst with a three, then turned defense into offense with a steal-and-score sequence. Meredith Venner owned the paint during the run, scoring repeatedly at the rim and punctuating the half with a three to stretch the margin to 50-27 going into intermission.
Venner stayed in takeover mode after halftime. She scored the first four points of the third quarter and kept finishing through contact as MDC widened the gap. With a Constanza Aravena three in transition, the Sharks had the game firmly in their grip at 61-30. Miami Dade poured in 28 points in the third and led 78-44 heading to the fourth.
The final quarter was more of the same: pressure, pace, and waves of scoring. Bynum opened the fourth with a jumper and Culberth converted a layup off a steal seconds later as MDC pushed the lead over 35. The bench added plenty of punch late, Jennie Gutman hit a corner three with under 5 remaning and Diully DaSilva drilled a three moments later. Gutman finished the scoring with a tip-in at 0:41 as Miami Dade crossed the century mark and closed out the 39-point victory.
Venner led all scorers with a dominant 27 points on 12-of-18 shooting and a game-high 13 rebounds, adding three assists and a block. Bynum filled the box score with 16 points and seven assists, while Culberth chipped in nine points, three assists, and four steals. Callihan added 10 points, eight rebounds, and two blocks, and Aravena posted 13 points with six assists to pace the Sharks' ball movement.
Miami Dade finished with 23 assists on 39 made field goals, controlled the glass 54-40, and shot 47.1% from three (8-of-17) in a wire-to-wire statement win.